Jong Kook saw his roommate’s door opened, that’s strange, she shouldn’t have come home this early. She said she had a date with her boyfriend. He sighed at the thought of that. He knocked on the door before opening it. He saw a sobbing Ji Hyo on the bed.

“What had happened?”, he asked in concern.

“He broke up with me!”, she wailed. He walked over and hugged her. This was like her third breakup.

“Why?”, he asked, not understanding how men could break up with this lovely woman.

“He said I had someone else in my heart”, she sobbed. “and the person is not him. He couldn’t stand playing second fiddle. I told him he was the person in my heart but he don’t believe me. You tell me, who else is in my heart!”

Jong Kook sighed again. How would he know, he had tried for 20 years and still he was not able to walk into her heart. He was always her friend, at best, her best childhood friend. Ji Hyo happened to decide to go to Seoul at the same thing as he did, and out of convenience and trust, they had decided to rent a place together.

He hugged her tightly, “I don’t know the answer, Ji Ji”, he called her the name that he had made up for her. That had agreed that in this world, he would be the only one that called her that.

“Kookie Oppa, please made me kimbap. It also made me feel better” she pleaded. If she was asked to name one comfort food in the world, it would be Jong Kook’s kimbap. It always made her felt better.

“Ok, but I need to go supermarket to get some of the ingredients.” Jong Kook agreed. She knew her best friend would never fail her. She even followed him to the supermarket and bought back some beers and snacks. He had not nagged at her this thing, hurray for been fallen out of love. Sometimes it had its privileges.

She was looking at the busy Jong Kook making her kimbap, she remembered they had met in school, he was  her senior. She was in grade 1 and she fell down on the stairs, and he was behind her. He helped her out and bought her to the nurse. He even stayed and accompanied her when the nurse applied medicine on her wounds. She remember crying on his shoulder and pinching his arm when the wound stringed. He had not uttered a sound even when it was painful.

She also remembered their first kiss, she was in grade 2, and he was about to graduate, she told him she would miss her best friend and planted her lips on his. She remembered the shock on his face and she giggled. Jong Kook turned and look at her in surprise. “Why are you giggling.” He was concerned about his friend.

“Nothing, I just remembering our first kiss” Ji Hyo answered and saw her friend's face redden, before he turned his back on her. She giggled again.

The first kiss was a surprise, but she was young then. Jong Kook remembered their second kiss, she was graduating from middle school and he had visited her at her home, they had grew very close together since their  meeting and would often played at each other house. They were talking in her room, when suddenly, she hugged him and kissed him. Her soft lips pressed firmly on his. He couldn’t react, and her lips left his. “Your lips are very soft, unlike the rest of you.” She had commented and left her room. The kiss left him stunned and she never mentioned it again. He had wondered why she had done that, his answer is more of jest than anything. But remembering that kiss had deepened his blushed.

Ji Hyo remembered their third kiss, it was when Jong Kook had graduated, she was there to attend his graduation ceremony, she planted kisses on his cheeks before lightly brushing his warm lips. She liked to kiss him, it had bought about tinkling feelings in her stomach. She thought nothing more of it.

Her kimbap was finally done. She ate it contently.   Ji Hyo had her first boyfriend when she was in university and he was serving the army. Jong Kook remembered receiving letters and messages about how happy she was in her relationship. It had left him bitter but there was nothing he could do to stop Ji Hyo happiness, and moreover, he was so far away from her. He remembered feeling his heart constantly getting stab reading her letters and messages. He didn’t stop reading, he wanted to know everything that happened and he loved that she shared all her life with him. Even if she didn’t know he loved her, he was happy that he was always a friend to her.

Her boyfriend broke up with her the next day he left the army. She was in his room crying her heart out. That was the first time he made his kimbap for her and she had made him promise he wouldn’t made for another person on earth. He smiled remembering how she stuffed the kimbap into and making her face bloated like now. “Eat slowly, no one here will fight with you and I can make more if you like” he said.

“Mmmm .mmm.. mmmmmmm..” she was trying to mummer something but with full, Jong Kook couldn’t understand her and shook his head. Finally she swallowed the kimbap, “Let’s go on a date tomorrow.”

“A date? Ok, but I only available in the afternoon” Jong Kook said.

“What are you doing in the morning?” Ji Hyo asked.

“I need to meet up with a client to talk about my design for their house” he answered.

“Ok, I will wait for you together in the café.” She decided.

“Won’t you be bored? I could always come back here.”

“I just played on my handphone, I wanted to start our date  ASAP”

He felt his heart skipped a beat, then he calmed it down, she didn’t mean anything. They reached the café together, she sat a table away. The female client kept flirting with Jong Kook and she was not happy to see that. She purposely messaged him, asking him to behave. Jong Kook quickly ended the meeting and walked over to her. She was pouting.

“Why are you flirting with her?” she demanded, she felt needles in her heart and it made her uncomfortable.

“I did not. She just came on to me.” Jong Kook tried to explain.

“No, I saw you hitting on her as well.” She said.

“I didn’t. I was just been friendly.” Jong Kook was getting angry, he didn’t like to be smeared.

“All men are the same!”, tears slid down her cheeks, the tears dissolved his anger. He hugged her.

“You know I didn’t, Please don’t be angry” Jong Kook pleaded with her.

“Ok, 2 kimbaps when we reached home, but now I want to go to our date.” She felt better when she saw him not interested with the woman. Jong Kook was her best friend and she will need to protect him from the ferocious women out there.

“Where are we going” he asked.

“A surprise” she answered holding his hand. His heart throttled uncontrollably fast.  He would never get over this woman, he thought. He had forced himself to know girls, but somehow, his past 2 relationship never lasted more than half a year and the girls will leave him. He wondered why he couldn’t keep his relationship when he was a gentleman. Maybe that why Ji Hyo didn’t find him attractive and he was depressed and miserable. Ji Hyo had consoled him bringing him drinking, he don’t drink and so he drank milk. In the end, Ji Hyo ended up drunk and he had to bring her home. Now, she was holding his hands, he looked at the window, it seemed to reflect a couple, he blushed at the thoughts. “Knock out of it, Kim Jong Kook, she didn’t love you” his heart grew heavy with the thought.

She took him to karaoke, she wanted to sing her heart out. She punched a song he always sang for her, “One man”. He turned his back, facing the screen, he sang the song, using all his feelings. The song had reflected his feelings for her. He can hear her busy looking for songs, and he let out a silent sigh. He was nothing to her. After the song completed, he sat down beside her, her concert had begun. She was singing her heart out. He was behind, singing softly with her. Suddenly, she turned and gave him the mike, it was “One man” again. “I didn’t manage to enjoy the song just now. Let me hear it again.” He sang the song again. Ji Hyo could felt his feelings in his song, she wondered did he sing it for her. She shook her head silently, he just looked at her as a sister.

She had inserted his songs every few songs she sang, she could rest while listening to his singing. To tell the truth, she can’t sing too well, but his singing was different, he could sing like an angel. His singing could sooth her hurt and gave her strength. After the singing session ended, they bought 2 dozens of beer and fried chicken and went back to their apartment. She forced him ate the chicken and  drank the beers, he was getting tipsy after his 6^th and couldn’t remember anything after that.

He woke up when the sun shone into his eyes, strange, his room was on the west side, he slowly opened his eyes, his head thumping. He saw he was in Ji Hyo room, on her bed, and he was ! He woke up instantly, he saw Ji Hyo sleeping peacefully beside him, equally . He saw blood, he face whitened. What had he done, he had taken her when she was drunk and her ity. He felt shameful, he had hurt her when she was most vulnerable, he couldn’t face himself. He quickly put on his clothes, he look at her and left the apartment.

She woke up, finding herself alone on the bed, he was nowhere to be seen. She saw the glass of water and aspirin he left behind. She remembered what happened the night before, he was drunk and murmuring that he loved her. She remembered she was delighted when he took the initiative to kiss her, one thing led to another, and they ended up on the bed. He was gentle, he was wild. He took her beyond her imagination. She knew he had loved her, maybe from way back. She also knew he must be feeling terrible now.

She messaged him “Oppa, where are you? We need to talk”

He saw her message and he hesitated, yes they need to talk but what can he say? Sorry? But he needed to tell her he loved her and if she willing to forgive him, he wanted to be her boyfriend. So he messaged back, “Wait, I will be back.”

He reached their apartment door, and took a deep breathe. He opened the door and found her waiting on their sofa, she was wearing his t-shirt. He felt his breathe been taken away by the sight, she was beautiful. “Oppa, come over here.” He obeyed and sat beside her.

“Ji Hyo, I am sorry about last night” he began, he didn’t notice Ji Hyo face whitened. “I shouldn’t have done it, you are most vulnerable but … “ he stopped, taking another breathe. Ji Hyo could felt her heart stopped. “I love you, my only regret is that we had done it without your consent. If you let me have the chance to love you, to show you I could be your perfect boyfriend, I … I will be the happiest person on this earth. But if you think I am despicable and not worthy of you, I will leave you forever and I vowed never to be with another woman again.”

Ji Hyo felt her heart now pounding extremely fast, she wasn’t expecting him to confess his love to her. She held his head and turned it towards her. “You had my full consent when we done it yesterday, you are the one who was drunk, we did it because we are in love with each other. Since you are willing to take full responsibility, you will be my boyfriend from this moment onwards, and you have to remember your promise. You cannot be with another woman again, u cannot let them come on to you, you understand?”

Jong Kong nodded his head in awe. “So .. so you love me too?” he asked uncertainly.

“Yes, I love you! Why would I gave my first kiss to a boy I don’t like or love? You fool! You are the one who never response” she pouted her lips.

Jong kook smiled foolishly, yes he was always the one who got stunned by her kiss and never responded. He held her close and shouted “I love you, I had love you for so long”. He gently pulled her towards him and kissed her passionately on the lips. “I love you so much” Ji Hyo smiled, finally, she met her prince.